As Le Cordon Bleu Paris turns 120 years old, we find out what it is like to study at one of the world’s oldest culinary schools and answer that all important question—should you say oui to LCB?

“It was like I died and went to heaven. There was a professional kitchen, a bunch of really talented people and loads of sugar.” Pooja Dhingra’s first moments at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, lived up to every expectation she had when she signed up.

It was here that Pooja spent months practicing her now-legendary macarons, before returning to India to set up Le 15 Patisserie and build the food empire we all now know, love and hashtag. #MacaronMania

The French culinary school’s legacy dates back to 1827. La Cuisinière Cordon-bleu was a weekly publication in which top chefs and experts in food published recipes, educational material and their experiences in the kitchen. Years later, this information was compiled in a cookbook, which was followed by the first ever Cordon Bleu cookery class, held in October 1895 at the Palais-Royal. (The expression “cordon bleu” translates to blue ribbon, a term introduced in 1578 when Henri III of France presented the knights of the Order of the Holy Spirit with a cross hanging from a blue ribbon.)

Fast-forward 120 years and LCB Paris is now associated with excellence in French gastronomy and patisserie. It is one of the most coveted diplomas in the culinary world, and competition is tough—the school accepts only 150 students each trimester from across the globe. “Apart from being a great foundation course in French gastronomy, LCB Paris is a huge, internationally recognised brand. It’s like going to Harvard or Yale,” says Shilarna Vaze, LCB Paris alumni and owner of Gaia Gourmet. Famous alumni include American chef and writer Julia Child and ‘Asia’s Best Pastry Chef’ Janice Wong. Closer home there’s La Folie Patisserie’s Sanjana Patel, Restaurant Week India’s Mangal Dalal and Garima Arora, who is moving from Noma to head Gaggan Anand’s Mumbai restaurant.

While Pooja was the only Indian in her batch in 2008, the class of 2015 had as many as 25 students from the country. So what makes it so hot? And, more importantly, should you sign up?

Downtime at Jardin D’Hiver, an informal space at the school

Who is it for?If you want a strong foundation in French patisserie and gastronomy, LCB Paris is for you. “Learning pastry in Paris is equivalent to learning Kung Fu in China. I wanted to learn the classical French techniques to create the perfect viennoiserie, boulangerie and patisserie items. And who better to learn them from but the masters,” says Garima Kothari, pastry chef at the upscale NYC restaurant VITAE. The school teaches traditional cooking and baking techniques, with hands-on demonstrations and practical sessions almost every day.

However, if you want to set up a food business straight out of school you may want to look elsewhere. Unlike many other culinary schools, LCB Paris does not train you for the commercial side of the business. Many of those who sign up are there purely to pursue their passion for French cuisine or patisserie, and not necessarily to advance a career in food, Pooja tells us. “Courses like those at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) are geared to a hardcore career in food. The ones at LCB are not fiercely competitive, because not everyone there wants to land up in a professional kitchen. You’ll meet housewives, bankers and professionals on a sabbatical between the ages of 18-60 here.”

What you can studyFunnily enough, there is no main course at this culinary school.

Le Cordon Bleu Paris has two main programs: one in cuisine, the other in patisserie. Each program runs for nine months, and is divided into three levels: basic, intermediate and superior. Irrespective of training and experience, all students begin at the basic level. Upon completion of the three certificate levels, you are awarded the Le Cordon Bleu Cuisine Diploma or Patisserie Diploma, depending on your course. The more ambitious can take both courses simultaneously, and are rewarded with the Grand Diplôme.

What it takes to get inIf you don’t know how to pronounce mille feuille (it’s meel fooy, by the way) or how to truss a chicken, don’t sweat. The only thing you are assessed for is passion, motivation and discipline. Most importantly, you don’t need any experience or qualification to sign up. “There was a computer engineer in my course who had enrolled just for the fun of it. So really, it is just a bunch of people pursuing what they love,” says Pooja. A basic three-month courses in patisserie starts at 8,100 Euros (approx. Rs6,00,000), while the cuisine course starts at a 10,100 Euros (approx. Rs7,00,000). Bootstrapping your way through the course? Try scholarships from The Culinary Trust and the James Beard Foundation, which are open to all.

Chef Marc Vaca with students

A typical day at LCBOn a regular day, you can attend a demo where the chef demonstrates the meal or dessert of the day (depending on the course you do). Observation done and notes made, you then take over in the kitchen to replicate the same. Classes are scheduled between 8am-9pm, but you could have anything between one to three classes to attend in a day, with long breaks in between.

All demonstrations are conducted in French; so it helps if you speak the language. “There is a translator for the first two semesters; for the superior level, you are on your own. Often, you can’t clear doubts with a chef if your French isn’t good enough. It’s a shame, but that’s just the way it is,” says Shilarna.

The plus side of course, is all the eating. Apart from the food you cook everyday—you can take all of it home—there is the glorious culinary smorgasbord of the city to explore. “The reason I chose LCB’s French campus over others was because I wanted to live and breathe the culinary world of Paris, which was often more of an education than the actual course,” says Shilarna.

Brace for itHaving grown up with good Indian (read: vegetarian) values, there’s a good chance that you might be squeamish about dealing with sweet furry animals on your kitchen counter. In that case, Le Cordon Bleu’s cuisine course is not the place for you. “There was a Japanese girl in my class who quit the course the day we had to butcher a rabbit,” Shilarna tells us. “I know of a Korean girl who managed to skin a rabbit, but went straight to a pet shop and bought another one to cope with her guilt,” says Mangal. And then there is the vast unknown territory of French cuisine.

“Cooking cultures in India and France are immensely different, and it will take you time to get the hang of all the complex French terms, subtle flavours and textures in their style of cooking,” says Shilarna. “I had no idea what a Croquembouche (a tower of choux pastry balls held together by caramel) was, let alone know what it tastes like, before I got to LCB,” confesses Pooja.

To go or not to go?The most important thing to know before you go is what you want out of those nine months. Those who are seeking a career in cooking may want to test the waters at home. “Before you go to culinary school, it’s advisable to intern at a bakery or restaurant to understand what your life will be like in this field,” says Pooja. But if it is purely for the love of cooking, you’re headed the right way. “It’s the best school in the world to learn cooking without the sole intention of becoming a professional cook or to switch careers. It’s unmatchable for learning the core techniques in a short span of time,” Mangal explains. “LCB taught me the basic techniques of fine dining and French cuisine that I apply to all my cooking,” says Shilarna. “We make all kinds of cuisines at Gaia Gourmet, but the soul is French.”

Besides, where else can you eat your cake and have it too?

Use Pooja Dhingra’s guide to dessert in Paris for a sweet trip in the city:

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Alain Le Bot/Photononstop/Corbis

Pierre Hermé: I had my first ever macaron from here and was totally smitten. Pierre Herme is known as the Picasso of Pastry, and rightly so. He treats his pastry like art and each piece is too beautiful to eat (but please eat them!). My personal favourite is the Mogador macaron and the deux mille feuille. 72 rue de Bonaparte, 75006, Paris, details

Le Loir dans la Thiere

Le Loir dans la Thiérè: This quaint café in the Marais always makes me feel like I’m in a different world. They have a wide display of cakes and tarts and my mission is always to finish the very famous lemon meringue pie. 3 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, details

Sadaharu Aoki: My first internship in Paris was with a chocolate shop across this Japanese-inspired dessert shop. We would always get all our celebration desserts from here. Must try the matcha (green tea) macaron and matcha éclair. 35 Rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris, details

Joy via CC 2.0

Jacques Genin – Another famous chocolate shop. I have fond memories of the little caramel bons bons and the citrus dark chocolate candy. 133 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, details

Laduree: The inventors of the macaron, you will always find a long line outside any of their stores. Stop by here for some rose champagne and try my favourite vanilla and coffee macarons. 21 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, details

A photo posted by L Eclair de génie (@leclairdegenieofficiel) on Oct 31, 2015 at 10:45am PDT

L’éclair de genie: An entire store dedicated to eclairs! I love the selection they display. The prices can be a bit high but it’s worth trying an éclair (or two). Go for the vanilla praline or the dark chocolate. 14 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, details

David C. Phillips/Garden Photo World/Corbis

Angelina: A Paris classic and a must do. Their traditional hot chocolate is worth standing in line for. The hot chocolate is so rich and creamy that you won’t be able to eat anything else for hours after. 226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, details

Paris Le Marais / Alamy Stock Photo

Pain de Sucre: A friend of mine worked here and we always waited for him to come home with leftovers. The praline éclair and fig tart are delicious. 14 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, details

Des gâteaux et du pain: I lived across the street from this stylish patisserie. Their lemon tart was my go-to after a rough day. I loved it so much that the lemon tart at Le15 is modeled after it. 63 Boulevard Pasteur, 75015 Paris, details

Norio NAKAYAMA via CC 2.0

Rose Bakery: If you want to take a break from all the French pastry, you must visit this quaint English bakery at the steps of the Sacre Coeur. They make a mean carrot cake and I always wash it down with some English Breakfast Tea. 46 Rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris, details

Directphoto Collection / Alamy Stock Photo

Café Pouchkine: Their display can be a bit intimidating and the prices are higher, but it’s all worth it. The tutti fruit tart is worth trying. 64 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, details

Glenn Harper / Alamy Stock Photo

Dalloyau: I always love walking into their stores because I find them truly welcoming. The famous Paris cake opera was apparently invented here. I’d go for the opera and the macarons. 101, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008, Paris, details

Berthillon: One of the city’s most famous ice cream shops. Get ready to wait in a long line. Once you try the salted caramel ice cream here, you won’t mind waiting in line all day, every day! 31 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, 75004 Paris, details

Hugo et Victor: What I loved the most about this shop is their brilliant packaging (boxes that look like books!). But it would be unfair to only credit them with that. Their macarons are exceptional. The vanilla, pistachio and mango macarons are my favourite. 40 bd Raspail 75007 Paris, details

La Pâtisserie des Rêves: The name translates to pastry shop of dreams. It’s a beautiful store that lives up to its name. They display their desserts like jewellery, with individual glass cases. My picks here are the brioche and the tarte tatin. 111 Rue de Longchamp, 75116 Paris, details

A photo posted by David Lebovitz (@davidlebovitz) on Oct 20, 2015 at 11:17am PDT

Jean Charles Rochoux: I’m biased to this shop because I worked here. But trust me, you need to have their famous truffles! Mr. Rochoux also makes fruit chocolate slabs every Saturday morning. The flavours keep changing every week and they’re sold out within an hour of opening. 16 Rue d'Assas, 75006 Paris, details